How does Dempsey match up against the 90's giant heavyweights?

[Joey Giardello]

Riddick Bowe
George Foreman
Lennox Lewis
Razor Ruddock
Tommy Morrison

[Wild Blue Yonda]

Riddick Bowe
George Foreman
Lennox Lewis
Razor Ruddock
Tommy Morrison

Fun question. It is difficult for me to see how Morrison & Ruddock would've lasted, being honest. Dempsey came right at men who were bigger, tougher & altogether more skilled than either of these two, & absolutely crippled them.

If Dempsey were the whirlwind he was but lacked either a solid set of whiskers or a fighting man's heart, you could see how either man might get lucky, because everyone should respect the power both Ruddock & Morrison carried, but Dempsey did not. If he's hurt, he'll recover. Will Ruddock or Morrison recover if Dempsey hurts them? I doubt it.

Dempsey disposes of these two some time in the first four rounds.

Now for the bigger hurdles...

Lewis. Assuming this is Lewis at his best (IMO, circa 1997-02), it is a classic battle between two excellent fighters with each having several sizeable advantages over the other --- Lewis was great at, "fighting tall," & he has tremendous room to spare in height, weight & reach over Dempsey. For his part, Dempsey has it over Lewis in speed, heart & chin big. Excepting Mercer, no dramatically smaller man ever really troubled Lewis, & Dempsey is of course the division's foremost giant slayer.

This is a close fight, but I think two things tell --- Lewis' durability, & Dempsey's swiftness of assault. I think he gets Lewis out of there, myself. It's a Dempsey KO in the fifth.

Bowe. He was a good sight more durable than Lewis --- but he had absolutely no defense. None. I mentioned in a thread a few weeks back that I could not recall a truly world-class fighter on Bowe's level with such a lack of defensive awareness, ever, in all my years following Boxing. He was, however, a very tough nut who could take it, & boy, was he ever proficient at dishing it out. His inside fighting game would be critical to his chances here. Dempsey wants the fight inside, & Bowe knew what he was doing there. Like Lewis, he just gives up a lot of ground to Dempsey in speed at getting off, though, & again, I think it's the difference. Dempsey knocks out Bowe --- though as with Lewis, I would not be terribly surprised if it was Dempsey who wound up knocked out. Bowe could do it.

Foreman. An easier proposition, IMO, than either Lewis or Bowe for Dempsey --- but not an easy proposition outright. Foreman was absolutely teak-tough, had enormous strength, still retained brutal power, & he had in his arsenal a weapon Dempsey didn't care for --- a first-rate jab. Still, it's difficult to see Foreman landing it consistently enough to discourage the devilish Dempsey. Foreman has the overall power, but not the intensity, to win this. It would be interesting while it lasted, but I cannot see Foreman really lasting. Dempsey stops him in seven.

I have Dempsey winning these five fights, but I really only see him as a truly solid favourite against Ruddock, Morrison & (to a somewhat lesser extent) Foreman. Bowe & Lewis would have pretty good shots, but I can't say I'd be betting on them.

[Joey Giardello]

good post!!!!!!

[BigStereotype]

Riddick Bowe - That's a fight I'd pay through the nose to see, I'll tell you that. It's hard to pick between them, but Dempsey has ever so slight advantages in every area. And overall, I just think of Dempsey as the better fighter, I give him this win. And the infighting. Ohhhh the infighting. That would be so good.
George Foreman - Big George couldn't keep up with Jack's workrate by this point. Stoppage?
Lennox Lewis - Good style matchup, but Dempsey gets under that jab, eats a few mammoth right hands and chops him down with a body attack. Lewis can win this, though, if that right hand catches Dempsey and puts him to sleep.
Razor Ruddock - Dempsey is just better. Period.
Tommy Morrison - Really?

[CarlosG815]

Riddick Bowe
George Foreman
Lennox Lewis
Razor Ruddock
Tommy Morrison

Riddick Bowe is the toughest fight for Dempsey

George Foreman I think would get knocked out by Dempsey

Lennox Lewis is knocked out within a few rounds

Razor Ruddock is another great fight

Tommy Morrison is knocked out in a few short rounds.

[JAB5239]

Riddick Bowe is the toughest fight for Dempsey

George Foreman I think would get knocked out by Dempsey

Lennox Lewis is knocked out within a few rounds

Razor Ruddock is another great fight

Tommy Morrison is knocked out in a few short rounds.

Razor Ruddock was the worst and most least skilled of the bunch. I just can't see how he would be a great fight, my friend.

[BigStereotype]

Razor Ruddock was the worst and most least skilled of the bunch. I just can't see how he would be a great fight, my friend.

If you're a Dempsey fan...and Ruddock beat you up in high school?

[CarlosG815]

Razor Ruddock was the worst and most least skilled of the bunch. I just can't see how he would be a great fight, my friend.

Ruddock suffered a broken jaw, shattered eye socket and an immense amount of punishment in his fight with Mike Tyson.

If you can go 12 rounds with Tyson, he can without question go 12 with Dempsey.

[JAB5239]

Ruddock suffered a broken jaw, shattered eye socket and an immense amount of punishment in his fight with Mike Tyson.

If you can go 12 rounds with Tyson, he can without question go 12 with Dempsey.

Fair enough. But that doesn't make it a great fight does it? Ruddock was slow, crude and only had his left hand "smash" to speak of. If he were in with the 1987 version of Tyson he wouldn't have made it 4 rounds.

[CarlosG815]

Fair enough. But that doesn't make it a great fight does it? Ruddock was slow, crude and only had his left hand "smash" to speak of. If he were in with the 1987 version of Tyson he wouldn't have made it 4 rounds.

I would agree with that, but that was a hell of a fight and still one of my favorites. Razor showed great heart in that fight.